Electrical connector with latch mechanism

ABSTRACT

An electrical connector includes a dielectric body, which has at least two rows of contact receiving holes extending therethrough and a passageway defined between the two rows of contact receiving holes. A plurality of contacts are held in the contact receiving holes. A latch mechanism mounted in the passageway includes two latch arms, each of which has a hook and a force receiving portion, a pivot coupling the two latch arms together, and a spring disposed between the two latch arms. When the force receiving portions are exerted by a force, the two latch arms are pivoted to deflect the hooks from their original positions to mate with a mating connector. Thereafter, when the force is removed from the force receiving portions, the hooks urged by the spring tend to recover to their original positions to thereby fasten the mating connector.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to an electrical connector and,particularly, to an electrical connector having a latch mechanism forconnecting and releasably locking the electrical connector to a matingconnector.

2. The Related Art

Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,629 issued on October 13 in 1992, aconventional electrical connector disclosed in the patent includes acable coupled to a connector housing, which is enclosed by a moldedouter housing. The outer housing has a pair of side cavities pivotallyreceiving a pair of latches. The latches have locking fingers forengaging a connecting element and are biased into a locking position byintegral leaf springs or helical compression springs. The pivotalcoupling of the latches is accomplished by protrusions on the latchesretained by recesses in the housing, a pin assembly, or an integrallymolded hinge.

However, the latches of the conventional connector mentioned above arearranged on two opposite sides of the connector, which occupiesadditional space, thereby increasing the width of the connector.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to solving the above problems and provides anelectrical connector, which includes a dielectric body, a plurality ofcontacts and a latch mechanism. The dielectric body has at least tworows of contact receiving holes extending therethrough and a passagewaydefined between the two rows of contact receiving holes. The pluralityof contacts is held in the respective contact receiving holes. The latchmechanism is mounted in the passageway, including two latch arms and aspring disposed between the two latch arms. The two latch arms arepivotally coupled, and each latch arm has a hook at a front end thereofand a force receiving portion. When the force receiving portions areexerted by a force, the two latch arms are pivoted to deflect the hooksfrom their original positions to mate with a mating connector.Thereafter, when the force is removed from the force receiving portions,the hooks urged by the spring tend to recover to their originalpositions to thereby fasten the mating connector.

In the electrical connector mentioned above, the latch mechanism isassembled in inner space of the dielectric body. Consequently, theelectrical connector of the present invention can make the most of itsinner space to achieve a compact width.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A detailed explanation of preferred embodiments of the present inventionwill be given, with reference to the attached drawings, for betterunderstanding thereof to those skilled in the art:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an electrical connector in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electrical connector shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a latch mechanism of the electricalconnector according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the latch mechanism shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a latch mechanism of the electricalconnector according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the latch mechanism shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electrical connector 100 inaccordance with the present invention comprises a dielectric body 10, aplurality of contacts 20 held in the dielectric body 10, a primary metalshield 41 and a secondary metal shield 42 encircling the dielectric body10, and an upper dielectric cover 43 and a lower dielectric cover 44clasping the dielectric body 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dielectric body 10 defines a plurality ofcontact receiving holes 12 and a passageway 11 therein, which all extendthrough the dielectric body 10 front to rear. The contact receivingholes 12 are arranged in three (upper, middle and lower) rows forcorrespondingly holding three (upper, middle and lower) rows of contacts20 therein. The passageway 11 is located between the middle row and thelower row of the contact receiving holes 12 for receiving the latchmechanism 50 therein. The dielectric body 10 forms three protrusions 15in the passageway 11 for positioning the latch mechanism 50 (shown inFIG. 3). The dielectric body 10 further includes two recesses 16 whichare respectively defined in two opposite side walls of the dielectricbody 10. Each of recesses 16 laterally communicates the passageway 11with outside, and each of the recesses 16 has a rear opening.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show a first embodiment of the latch mechanism 50according to present invention. The latch mechanism 50 includes twolatch arms 51. The middle portion of each latch arm 51 protrudesinwardly to form a coupling portion 54, and the front end of each latcharm 51 protrudes inwardly to form a hook 53. In this embodiment, thecoupling portion 54 of one latch arm 51 integrally forms a pivot 84;correspondingly, the coupling portion 54 of the other latch arm 51defines an aperture 86 for pivotally engaging with the pivot 84. Withoverlapping the two coupling portions 54 together and mounting the pivot84 in the aperture 86, the two latch arms 51 are pivotally coupledtogether. A portion behind the coupling portion 54 of each arm 51 actsas a force receiving portion designated 55. The latch mechanism 50further includes a helical spring 82 disposed between the rear ends ofthe two latch arms 51.

Please refer to FIGS. 6 and 7, a second embodiment of the latchmechanism 50 is provided according to present invention. In thisembodiment, a pivot 184 is formed as a separate piece, which can replacethe pivot 84 in the first embodiment and perform similar function as thepivot 84 acting in the first embodiment.

The latch mechanism 50, either mentioned in the first embodiment or thesecond embodiment, is used for releasably locking with a matingconnector. When the force receiving portions 55 are exerted by anexternal force to relatively move inwardly, the two latch arms 51 arepivoted to deflect the hooks 53 from the original position to an openposition so as to mate with a mating connector. Simultaneously, thespring 82 is gradually compressed and generating an elastic force toresist the relative movement of the two latch arms 51. Thereafter, whenthe external force is removed from the force receiving portions 55, thetwo latch arms 51 are pivoted by the elastic force of the spring 82, andthe hooks 53 urged by the elastic force tend to recover to the originalposition to thereby fasten the mating connector.

Referring to FIG. 1, the electrical connector 100 further includes apair of buttons 60. Each of the buttons has a pressing head 63, apushing foot 65, and a propping neck 66 connecting the pressing head 63and the pushing foot 65 together.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the electrical connector 100 further includesa stopper 70. The stopper 70 shaped as a strip is used for sealing theend of the passageway 11 and the rear opening of the recesses 16.

Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 3, in assembling of the electrical connector100, firstly the contacts 20 are inserted into the dielectric body 10and held in the contact receiving holes 12. Then the mechanism 50 ismounted in the passageway 11 of the dielectric body 10 and positioned bythe protrusions 15 so as to keep the latch mechanism 50 as an integratedelement from onward, rightward and leftward movement relative todielectric body 10. Thereafter, the propping neck 66 of each button 60is retained in the corresponding recess 16 with the pressing head 63exposed to outside of the dielectric body 10 and the pushing footextending into in the passageway 11 for touching with the forcereceiving portions 55 of the latch mechanism 50. The stopper 70 isinfixed into the end of the passageway 11 and seals the rear opening ofeach recess 16 so as to keep the latch arms 51 of the latch mechanism 50and the buttons 60 from rearward movement. Finally, the dielectric body10 is covered by the primary metal shield 41 and the secondary metalshield 42 and clasped by the upper dielectric cover 43 and the lowerdielectric cover 44.

In the electrical connector 100 according to the present invention, thebuttons 60 are used to cooperate with the latch mechanism 50 fortransmitting an external force acted on the pressing heads 63 to theforce receiving portions 55 of the latch mechanism 50 by the pushingfeet 65 touching with the force receiving portions 55. As using, whenthe pressing heads 63 are pressed, the pressing force is transmitted tothe force receiving portions 55, thereby the two latch arms 51 arepivoted to deflect the hooks 63 from their original positions to matewith a mating connector. When the external force is removed from thepressing heads 63 of the buttons 60, the hooks 53 urged by the spring 82tend to recover to the original positions to thereby fasten the matingconnector.

It can be seen from the mentioned above that, the latch mechanism 50 isassembled in inner space of the electrical connector 100 to make themost of the inner space of the electrical connector 100, thereby theelectrical connector 100 achieves a compact width.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed in detail hereinabove, it should be clearly understand thatmany variations and/or modifications of the basic inventive conceptsherein taught which may appear to those skilled in the present art willfall within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined inthe appended claims.

1. An electrical connector comprising: a dielectric body having at leasttwo rows of contact receiving holes extending therethrough and apassageway defined between the two rows of contact receiving holes; aplurality of contacts held in the respective contact receiving holes;and a latch mechanism mounted in said passageway, including two latcharms and a spring disposed between the two latch arms, the two latcharms being pivotally coupled, each latch arm having a hook at a frontend thereof and a force receiving portion, wherein when the forcereceiving portions are exerted by a force, the two latch arms arepivoted to deflect the hooks from their original positions to mate witha mating connector, thereafter, when the force is removed from the forcereceiving portions, the hooks urged by the spring tend to recover totheir original positions to thereby fasten the mating connector.
 2. Theelectrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said twolatch arms has a coupling portion protruding from the middle portionthereof, said two latch arms are pivotally coupled at the couplingportions, and said force receiving portion of each latch arm is locatedbehind the coupling portion.
 3. The electrical connector as claimed inclaim 2, wherein the coupling portion of one latch arm integrally formsa pivot, and the coupling portion of the other latch arm defines anaperture for pivotally engaging with the pivot.
 4. The electricalconnector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the latch mechanism furtherincludes a pivot, and the two coupling portions each define an aperturefor pivotally engaging with the pivot.
 5. The electrical connector asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the dielectric body defines two recesses inopposite sides thereof communicating with the passageway, the electricalconnector further includes two buttons mounted on the dielectric body,each button has a pressing head exposed to outside of said dielectricbody, a pushing foot extending into the passageway for touching with thecorresponding force receiving portion of the latch arm, and a proppingneck retained in the corresponding recess, the force is exerted on theforce receiving portion by pressing the pressing head.
 6. The electricalconnector as claimed in claim 5, further including a stopper infixed inthe end of said passageway and sealing the rear opening of said recessesfor retaining said latch arms and said buttons.
 7. The electricalconnector as claimed in claim 1, further including a primary metalshield and a secondary metal shield encircling the dielectric body. 8.The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, further including anupper dielectric cover and a lower dielectric cover clasping thedielectric body therebetween.